


Repentance

by Linger1536



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Anakin never turned to the dark side, Canon Divergence - Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, F/M, Good Anakin, Padmé Amidala Lives, Redemption, Star Wars Resistance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-07-27 04:18:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7603117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linger1536/pseuds/Linger1536
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What is your name?” she urges.</p><p>He stares at her, stares as if she is the one who is lost. “You know my name.”</p><p>She removes her hand from his face, shaking her head furiously. “No, is it Anakin or Vader?” Desperation clutches at her heart when he remains quiet. “Which is it?!”</p><p>Anakin's lips twitch and he lets out an angry hiss, pounding his hands into the ground. “It's-” he is unable to finish it.</p><p>Tears flow freely down Padmé's cheeks as she regards the creature he has become. “You're a slave,” she whispers harshly. “Nothing more.”</p><p>“I'M NOT A SLAVE!” He lets out a furious bellow that leaves the ground shaking and causes lava from the lake to fly into the air.</p><p>“What are you then?” she implores once everything else has stopped and nothing but his ragged breathing remains. She reaches out for him with a trembling hand, soft fingers brush the lids of his eyes closed. “I will not love Vader.” His lids squeeze tightly together. “I will not live without Anakin.”</p><p>AU Anakin and Padmé go into hiding with the twins and Obi-Wan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Repentance

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars! Some quotes are taken directly from the movies and I do not take any credit whatsoever for them.  
> I have decided to rewrite this story. The first chapter has been rewritten already, and stupid as I am I deleted it instead of changing the document so I lost all the comments :/ I'm gonna take down the second chapter as well since I will be changing a few things in it and then I'll post it once I'm done rewriting it. I hope you'll like it! :)
> 
> Quick note; English is not my first language so there will probably be spelling mistakes, and since I normally write really late I probably missed fixing some things but I hope you won't mind too much.

_Fear._

The little slave boy with those big vulnerable eyes has always been there hidden deep within and now he is breaking through to the surface, bringing with him the fear. He does not want to be alone again... it is terrifying and the whispered promises of a future consisting of loneliness and suffering brings about the fury.

He had tried, tried so hard to please everyone; to be The Chosen One, to keep everyone safe and they reprimanded him for it. Love is the antagonist, it is corrupt and strays one off of the right course for balance, how can he seek compassion from those who deny its benignity? The path laid out before him is one he has been forced to walk unwillingly through isolation.

 _“Anakin,”_ it is a whispered plea that falls upon deaf ears.

Unfocused eyes regain their strength, focusing on the horrid yellow ones, conveying compassion. _I'm sorry... I understand. I love you... Don't be afraid..._

There is a popping sound and somewhere far away someone is screaming but darkness dance before her eyes and then all that remains is silence.

_“Are you an angel?”_

Her body is on fire. It's a burning pain rushing up her spine and out to every nerve she has, leaving her a trembling mess. A gasp escapes her parched lips at the sharp stab in her abdomen and she curls into herself, clutching at her stomach. It tears at her insides and burns, burns so much that she cannot do anything else but roll back and forth in agony with tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She screams, praying for the darkness to consume her once more.

“ _If you are suffering as much as I am, please tell me.”_

“ _We can't... it''s not possible.”_

“ _Anything is possible, Padmé. Listen to me!”_

She is alone. Somewhere else her husband's soul is being torn apart. Somewhere else her friend is attempting to end his torment.

“ _Don't be afraid,”_ it is a soft whisper at her ear and she can almost feel the brush of lips against her skin.

Cool metal close around the burning skin of her arm and she whips her head around but the linger of hope in her dark orbs dies once they settle on the golden droid.

“Mistress Padmé!”

Somehow she manages to reach the ship with the help of the distressed droid. She does not stop to think as she hunches over, clutching at her stomach while ordering C-3PO to fly the ship, searching for the missing Jedi. Dread settles in the pit of her stomach and she is almost certain that she is too late when movement to her left catches her eye. They are like two blurs, moving at the speed of light amongst a lake of lava. Their lightsabers move with such velocity that it is impossible to distinguish anything but the rays of light they leave behind.

“There!” Padmé exclaims to the droid next to her, pointing a finger at the two men. “Land as close as possible.”

She grits her teeth, fighting through the pain in her abdomen and heads for the exit while C-3PO steers the ship onto a flat patch of ground. She grabs a blaster on her way and then runs as fast as her body allows her on unsteady legs. She sees Obi-Wan kick off the hover-platform, backflipping before landing safely on the ground.

“It's over Anakin! I have the high ground!”

The shift in Anakin is obvious. His eyes darken and his lips draw back into a sneer as he allows his arrogance and anger to steer him. “You underestimate my power!”

A tear slides down Padmé's cheek as her eyes close on their own accord. She hears Obi-Wan's desperate plea but they both know what is to come...

Anakin shouts and her eyes fly open just as he propels himself into the air, aiming for a spot above Obi-Wan. She knows he won't make it, Obi-Wan knows it but Anakin refuses to see it.

The blaster shot echoes around them just as Obi-Wan's lightsaber comes down and takes Anakin's left leg with it.

Anakin goes tumbling down the slope, howling as he does so while Obi-Wan clutches at his wounded arm, staring at her wide eyed in disbelief.

“Padmé!”

“Leave!” She is shaking and in hysterics as she points the blaster at him with trembling hands.

“Padmé, he tried to kill you!” Obi-Wan attempts to reason.

“You don't understand!”

She understands now, and oh how she wishes that she had seen it sooner. She wishes that she could slip back in time and leave everything else behind, take him with her to Naboo, away from all this terror and quell his fear.

“Anakin!” She cries out when she sees him slip closer to the lava.

Their eyes meet for a brief second and she sees the change happen. They yellow which had tainted his eyes flickers and fades, allowing some of the reassuring blue she loves so much to seep back into them. His lips moves, desperately attempting to tell her something.

She spins around at the distinct sound of a lightsaber being ignited, eyes landing on Obi-Wan. He keeps his attention on focused on Anakin and she realises with a sinking heart what he is about to attempt.

“Don't!”

The lightsaber rises into the smoke filled air and with its actions the blue in Anakin's eyes fades away.

“Have compassion!” It is a desperate last plea and the older man's movements comes to a halt as he heeds it.

A second blaster shot penetrates the air and the lightsaber falls from Obi-Wan's grasp as he clutches at the new wound. Padmé stumbles down the rocky surface until she reaches the weapon, throwing it into the lava.

“Please,” she begs, positioning herself between her husband and his former mentor, “leave.”

“Padmé...”

She aims the blaster at his forehead. “This is your last chance,” she grinds out through gritted teeth but Obi-Wan remains unmoving. “Can't you see that this isn't him?!”

Obi-Wan regards the blaster calmly before meeting her distraught gaze with his own and an understanding passes between them as he acknowledges that she won't hesitate to pull the trigger. He bows his head, looking down at Anakin who is struggling in his attempts to pull himself towards them.

“You were my brother Anakin.” He turns, disappearing into the smoke.

Padmé sobs loudly as she scrambles down the embankment to Anakin's side. Her lips are moving on their own accord, silently chanting: “Come back to me. Come back.”

She grabs hold of both of his arms and attempts to haul him up, away from the lava but he is too heavy which causes her to stumble and they both slide down as the soil underneath them gives away.

She watches horrified as Anakin's leg catches on fire. His agonised screams penetrates the air while the flames lick their way up his leg but Padmé manages to extinguish them before they get too far by throwing soil at them. She uses the last of her strength to haul Anakin away from the lava before collapsing next to him.

“Padmé,” he groans with his eyes firmly closed in pain. “Are you alright?”

She whimpers, clutching at her stomach. The pain is so unbearable that she almost believes that she has been thrown into the burning lake beside them.

“Padmé?”

She rocks back and forth silently, praying for the pain to subside when she feels a hand brush against her cheek. Her eyes flutter open and she finds herself looking into a pair of unfamiliar yellow ones. “No,” she moans. “No, come back.”

“I had to,” he grunts. “It's the only way to save you.”

There is a raw desperation in his voice, a desperation for her to understand.

“I'm afraid.” A tear slips down her cheek. “I know you are too.”

The sound he makes is somewhere between sob and a scoff. “The Hero With No Fear,” he whispers self-loathing.

 _Fear._ It was an emotion he had tried so hard to distance himself from, to leave behind with the boy he had been but it still came knocking, ready to haul him back into its hold.

Gentle fingers brush against the side of his face and he subconsciously leans into the touch.

“Don't let it destroy you.”

Yellow eyes meet brown ones, there is a flash and red begins to simmer into their outline and at this the brown ones loose their luster.

“I won't live without you.”

He blinks and crease appears between his eyebrows. “You won't.”

“What is your name?” she urges.

He stares at her, stares as if she is the one who is lost. “You know my name.”

She removes her hand from his face, shaking her head furiously. “No, is it Anakin or Vader?” Desperation clutches at her heart when he remains quiet. “Which is it?!”

Anakin's lips twitch and he lets out an angry hiss, pounding his hands into the ground. “It's-” he is unable to finish it.

Tears flow freely down Padmé's cheeks as she regards the creature he has become. “You're a slave,” she whispers harshly. “Nothing more.”

“I'M NOT A SLAVE!” He lets out a furious bellow that leaves the ground shaking and causes lava from the lake to fly into the air.

“What are you then?” she implores once everything else has stopped and nothing but his ragged breathing remains. She reaches out for him with a trembling hand, soft fingers brush the lids of his eyes closed. “I will not love Vader.” His lids squeeze tightly together. “I will not live without Anakin.”

They stay like that for a long time with his breathing tickling against the skin of her wrist and her eyes glistering with unshed tears. Padmé feels the pain then. It is a horrid inferno at the small of her back that has her flinging herself upwards with it before falling back down again. Her hand falls away from Anakin's face and settles on her lower abdomen where it feels as if someone is trying to tear her insides out.

Trembling hands grasp her face, smoothing out her brow where a new layer of sweat has begun to gather. A muffled sob leaves her parched lips and Anakin's heart lurches at it. He winces and leans in closer, burying his face in the crock of her neck, hot droplets of water tickles the exposed skin as he weeps silently.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'm sorry.”

Delicate hands dig into the burning soil, clenching and unclenching. _“Stop!”_ her body shakes with sobs and tears stream down her heated cheeks as she tosses her head from side to side. It hurts, it hurts so much.

She stops breathing.

Anakin feels it, not in the way her body goes limp in his arms or in the way her breathing stops fanning against his hair but in the way the Force darkens. No matter how hard he searches for her presence there is nothing but an empty void.

“No... no, no, no, _NO!_ ”

The void expands until it is all there; no light, no grey just this cold emptiness, whispering the cruel truth. It consumes him from within and he leans back – still clutching his lover's broken body in his arms – and draws a shuddering breath before his eyes snap open, completely shrouded in darkness which then begins to fade into the sickening yellow of a Sith.

_“Anakin, all I want is your love.”_

_Anakin..._

_Anakin!_ The urgent call from a Master long gone, followed by the cries of the Jedi. Younglings begging, _Master! Master!_

The Sith lets out an agonised wail, clasping his hands over his ears. _You were my brother, Anakin!_

Broken bodies fall everywhere with their eyes wide in horror and mouths agape, forever screaming. _Anakin! Anakin!_

The Sith's hands tear in a craze at his dirty hair before clawing at his scalp, wanting it all to stop.

 _Anakin,_ a soothing voice whispers, _be brave and don't look back. Don't look back._

Silence descends upon him, washing the voices away until only one remains. _I will not live without Anakin._

His eyes open in comprehension and the yellow fades away into blue as he grasps the true meaning of her words. “Padmé.”

Calloused hands clasp her pale face but it just rolls from side to side, completely slack. His mechanical hand comes to rest on her forehead while his flesh one finds its way to the curve of her breast, resting above her heart. There is a weak flicker of light coming from somewhere deep within and Anakin latches onto it. It slips through his fingers as if it is water. His eyebrows come together into a frown, it isn't right...

There is an unknown presence choking the life out of her and with every push Anakin gives it pulls. It closes in on the glimmers of light, extinguishing them one after another. Sweat drips down Anakin's brow as he grits his teeth, gathering the light underneath his palms before guiding it towards her heart.

He leans down, brushing his lips against her ear. “Fight.” He releases his grip.

Her body remains limp, the only movement coming from her hair as a gust of wind takes hold of it. A coldness creeps into her fingertips.

“ _Padmé!”_

She lurches upwards with her mouth open in a silent scream, digging her cold hands into the soil underneath her, twisting and clawing frantically. Her eyes fly open to reveal dilated pupils which slowly fades back into their normal size.

Tears stream down Anakin's face as he cups Padmé's cheeks in his palms, stroking away damp strands of hair. “Shh,” he whispers, pulling her into his arms. “You're alright, you're alright...”

He feels her chest heave against his as she draws in mouthful after mouthful of air. She is shaking and her skin is cool to the touch but her heartbeat is slowing down, settling into a comfortable rhythm.

Padmé's eyes frantically scan their surroundings, confusion is clearly visible on her face but when her eyes lock onto the blue of her husband's realisation dawns upon her.

A heart wrenching sob is torn from somewhere deep within and it has Anakin closing his eyes briefly in misery. She rips her hands free from the soil to press them against her stomach.

“It's not moving!” She presses her hands madly against it, trying to coax forth the comforting thumps she has grown so accustomed to. “Anakin, its not moving!”

Anakin's face is grim as he takes her by the shoulders and eases her back down into a lying position. He removes her hands and replaces them with his own. “Breath,” he soothes before he closes his eyes and draws in a deep breath of his own.

He feels a weak light just as he had with Padmé moments earlier. It is faint but he does not sense the same threat around it as the one that had tried to consume its mother, but there is something else there... a push in the Force that brings with it waves of reassuring warmth. It is followed by another one, distinctly different from the first one but equally as jovial and Anakin relishes in it.

Padmé gasps in surprise. “Oh,” she whispers as she too feels the difference in the kicks.

Anakin lets out a shocked laugh and strokes his hand from where the first kick is coming to the second one. He shakes his head which causes strands of damp hair fall into his sad cerulean eyes. “You have to go.”

Padmé gazes up at him with eyes full of sorrow. Her lower lip splits as she parts her lips and a droplet of blood spills onto her chin. “No, not without you.”

He shakes his head and grabs hold of her forearms, pulling her up into a seated position. Worry settles in the pit of his stomach when she leans against him in exhaustion. “You have to.”

She hides her face against his chest, shaking her head furiously. “I'll not leave you here.”

“Padmé,” he soothes once more, pulling her face away from his chest so that he can rest his forehead against hers, “you need to leave.” His lips brush against hers. “ _Please._ ”

Padmé's eyes travel from his down to his thigh where nothing but a stump of his leg remains. She takes a shuddering breath and blinks away tears before pushing herself off of the ground and with Anakin's support she manages to stand on swaying feet. She grits her teeth before bending down as far as her swollen belly allows her to, hauling his left arm over her shoulders, ignoring his protests.

“You have to push up,” she pants.

He opens his mouth about to object but the glare he receives has him closing it again.

“Now!”

He summons the Force for leverage and grunts as he lands painfully on his remaining leg.

They both wobble back and forth for a second before they regain their balance. Padmé clutches tightly at Anakin's arm with one hand while her other arm snakes around his waist, steadying him as she herself tries not to keel over in pain. Both of them tilt their heads to peer up at the steep slope and dread clouds their thoughts.

They fall into an uncomfortable rhythm of Padmé taking a small step while Anakin tries to match it with a jump. It is painfully slow and the progress is infuriatingly small which has Anakin begging her to leave him behind but she refuses to hear any of it.

“Threepio shouldn't be far from here,” Padmé reasssures as they begin to climb up the steeper part.

Anakin squeezes his eyes shut and tries not to let out a pained groan as his burned stump jostles against Padmé. “How are you doing?” he murmurs.

She glances up at him and quickly grows worried at the sickly colour of his skin. “Fine,” she lies.

She takes another step and Anakin jumps but as his foot comes down onto the ground it gives away causing him to fall and drag her down with him. She shrieks as they slip down the same way they had come, her free hand desperately grabs at something to hold onto but the ground gives away all around them causing them to slide down until they come to a stop not far from where they had begun.

Anakin lets out a loud cuss in Huttese and rolls over, reaching out for Padmé, carefully turning her over from her side onto her back. “Are you alright?”

She blinks up at him, her mouth is open as she tries to get air past the nauseating lump in her throat. “Y-yes...” It is a lie and it does not hold up for long as she whimpers and rolls over, curling into herself.

“Force!” Anakin exclaims. His hands travel over her body in a frenzy whilst his eyes scan their surroundings but there is nothing except the empty embankment and the horrid wasteland. He closes his eyes for a moment before opening them with newfound determination. “OBI-WAN!”

Anakin's chest heaves up and down with each breath he takes as he waits for something to happen, for him to come... but he doesn't. He looks down at the face of his lover and an agonising pain spreads through his body to the tips of his fingers as he watches her wince in pain. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes once more, reaching out through the Force until he finds the severed bond with his former Master. He attempts to mend it, to conjoin the fragile tendrils but the damage is done and Anakin can only hope his Master hears his desperate plea.

“Padmé, can you hear me?” The only response he gets is a small nod before she flinces in pain. “I need you to get between my legs... leg.”

“No,” she groans. “I'll hurt you.”

“It doesn't matter.” He hooks his hands underneath her armpits and tries to lift her over his burnt leg, hissing as she brushes against it but he continues until he has her seated between his thighs.

They remain like that for a few minutes, both breathing hard as they try to work through the pain. Padmé's body shudders and her stomach contracts painfully while Anakin's leg feels like it is still on fire. With a grunt Anakin digs his remaining foot into the ground, pushing himself backwards before dragging her towards him, slowly and painfully moving them up the slope towards the top of the embankment.

It is excruciatingly slow and they are both panting with the effort of moving a few inches. Anakin lets out a ferocious scream as he gives another haul before falling onto his back. _Obi-Wan..._

Padmé clutches at his hands and he forces himself to sit back up. She digs her heels into to the ground in an attempt to help him move them as much as she possible can. The sight of her pale and trembling in his arms causes Anakin's chest to contract painfully and tears begin to gather in his eyes. _Obi-Wan, please!_

He feels it first after he has dragged them a few inches higher and he quickly spins his head around, peering over his shoulder at the older man who is standing on top of the embankment. His brows are furrowed as he regards the pitiful sight below him with wary eyes. Anakin quells the surge of anger he feels flowing through his body and locks eyes with his former master. For awhile they simple stare at each other, trying to read the other's expression while they both reach out for each other in the Force, tentatively brushing against each other minds.

There are so many emotions emitting from their broken bond: anger, disappointment, pain, guilt, sadness and... _hope._

“Please help her,” the younger man begs and it is such a stark contrast from the man he had been a mere hour ago that it causes the older man to flinch. _“Please!”_

With slow and steady steps Obi-Wan begins his decent, coming to a stop beside them, giving his former Padawan a wary stare before he turns his attention to the half-conscious woman in the broken man's arms. Obi-Wan bends down slowly to not startle the feral being Anakin has become, his hand reaches out for Padmé but stops shy of her face, hovering in the air.

Anakin regards the hand with hollow eyes before looking away, focusing his attention on the woman in his arms. “Padmé.” His fingers slips through the hair that has escaped her braid. “You're going to have to go with Obi-Wan now.”

“No! I-”

He ignores her weak protests, turning his attention back to Obi-Wan, who cannot help but to marvel silently at the blue in Anakin's eyes, blue he has known for so long. “Take her.”

This time Obi-Wan does not hesitate, reaching out for her, ignoring the pain in his injured arm as he takes her into his arms.

Padmé clutches onto Anakin's hand as Obi-Wan gets back onto his feet and Anakin stretches his arm out when they begin to move away from him, soon only their fingers brush against each other and then Anakin's hand falls away when she isn't within his reach any more.

Anakin rolls onto his back, fully prepared to accept the fact that he will most likely die there on that wretched planet. He does not feel any anger but he does feel a deep sense of regret. Regret for what he has done, regret for being so foolish and regret for not having the opportunity to be with his family.

He entertains the thought of crawling up the slope but he knows that he is too weak to make it and so instead he turns his attention to his discarded lightsaber that lies a few feet up ahead, and with the last of his strength he summons it to him, grasping it in his right hand, ready to plunge it into Sidious chest when he comes, because he will come...

The sound of scuffling feet has Anakin closing his eyes, keeping a tight grip on his weapon as he waits for whoever it is to approach. He feels the person coming closer and is just about to ignite his lightsaber and lunge upwards when a familiar voice stops him.

“Unconscious,” it murmurs to itself, sighing deeply before Anakin feels hands grabbing him. “C-3PO,” it says, presumably into a comlink, “have the ship ready.” Anakin feels himself being hoisted up and across a pair of broad shoulders, he cries out at the pain in his legs, unable to stop himself. “Easy now. You'll be fine,” Obi-Wan reassures.

* * *

Padmé isn't awake when he enters the medical suite with Anakin and for that Obi-Wan is grateful, he needs time to think. He tries to ease Anakin down onto the remaining cot but judging by the twitching of the younger man's lips and the way he winces it isn't a painless procedure. Obi-Wan feels a surge of justice at Anakin's pain but quickly quells it, surrounding himself in the light of the Force.

Anakin's fate had not been his fault alone, Obi-Wan had failed him. He wishes now that he had been more attentive to the turmoil that had been going on inside his friend's mind, perhaps then he could have helped prevent all of this from happening. Still, he thinks, stroking a hand through his beard, it had been Anakin who had committed those monstrosities and he needs to be held accountable... _Not Anakin,_ a voice whispers, _Vader._

“Padmé,” Anakin's voice interrupts Obi-Wan's musings.

He is leaning with his upper body hanging outside of the cot with his mechanical arm outstretched towards Padmé. He almost falls out of it in his attempts to reach her which has Obi-Wan putting a firm hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down.

“You need to rest.”

The younger man shrugs off his demand like he has so many times before in the past. He sits up so that he has a better view of of his wife and leans back against the wall for support. “Is she alright?”

Obi-Wan peers over his shoulder at the woman who is at the centre of all of this. Her eyes are closed in sleep but he can sense her uneasiness and he knows that Anakin does as well. Her head turns in a fitful sleep while her hands clench and unclench at her sides. Obi-Wan walks over to her, stroking down her cheek with the back of his hand. Her eyes flutter open to stare intently into his and he now understands why Anakin finds them so mesmerising.

“Obi-Wan... is Anakin alright?” Her eyes begin to glaze over and she struggles to keep them open, waiting for a response.

“I'm fine,” Anakin reassures from his cot.

She turns her head towards the sound of his voice and a tear slips down her cheek as she observes his broken state. “Oh, Anakin...” she whispers, already succumbing to sleep.

Anakin's eyes darken as he regards her limp form but when he taps into the Force he can still feel her presence there. “We need to leave.”

Obi-Wan nods in agreement and is just about to head for the cockpit when Anakin stops him. “Don't,” he groans, clutching at the remaining stump of his leg, “go any where obvious. Sidious... Sidious will be searching for us.”

Obi-Wan bows his head in understanding before turning, leaving the couple alone.

He does not bring them to Polis Massa. It's a risky move, one he would berate himself for had he been in a right state of mind but right now he puts it down to a gamble. He takes them to Obroa-skai.

* * *

Nurses and droids are bustling around the bed Padmé is laid out on, preparing for the birth of the children, all while worrying for the health of the mother. Anakin in seated in a hover chair next to the bed, clutching on of her hands tightly in his own as her murmurs soft words of encouragement, silently battling the fear that is trying to take hold of him.

Obi-Wan cannot help but to feel a tinge of worry as he regards Anakin's state. He is in a bad shape, hunched over in pain, attempting to hide the convulsions that shake his body. The medical staff had wanted to put him in a bacta tank immediately but he had refused and instead demanded that all of their attention was to be on his wife. They had tried to persuade him, a Twi'lek medic had tentatively assured him that Padmé would be in good hands and that he would have nothing to worry about while he was submerged in the bacta. Anakin had simply stared at her with cool eyes that had had her swallowing hard before scurrying off.

A cough comes from somewhere behind Obi-Wan and the weary man turns away from the window to acknowledge one of the medics. “Yes?”

“We are prepared to deliver the children,” the medic begins, her eyes flickering to the window behind Obi-Wan. “There is nothing to indicate any difficulties.”

Obi-Wan's shoulders relaxes as he lets out a relieved sigh, he had expected there to be complications after her ordeal.

“We need to discuss the treatment of the other patient,” the medic continues, nodding at Anakin and the concern in her eyes is obvious. “He ought to be submerged in bacta.”

“Yes, yes,” Obi-Wan agrees but he knows there is nothing they can do about it for now. “Once the children are born I will speak to him.”

 

Padmé's scream fills the room as the nurse demands for her to push. Her grip on Anakin's hand tightens and she turns her head towards him as she gives another push, letting out a loud cry which is followed by another one that does not belong to her.

“It's a boy.”

Anakin turns his attention to the newborn cradled in the Twi'lek's arms and Padmé tiredly lifts her head to stare at her son. “Luke.”

The Twi'lek hands the baby off to another medic who cleans it up and swaddles it. Anakin gazes at the child, longing to hold him but the way his body shakes from pain prevents him from doing so and instead he swallows, closing his eyes for a second as he brushes against the child's Force presence, allowing his feelings of love to flow through their bond.

Padmé smiles and her eyes shine with love for the small child but the smile quickly turns into a wince once another contraction overtakes her and her head falls back against the operating table. Anakin turns his attention back to her, bringing their joined hands up to his lips, brushing them against her knuckles while he murmurs words of encouragement.

“Just one more time,” he promises. “One more time.”

Padmé screams, arching her back as she does and then she feels the baby being pushed out of her and into the awaiting arms of the midwife.

“It's a girl.”

Padmé smiles with exhaustion, watching the baby being cleaned up. She brings Anakin's hand down towards her face and gives his knuckles a kiss, mimicking his earlier actions.

Anakin glances at her for a brief second, smiling before looking back at his daughter. “Leia.”

They are not allowed to stay in their happy bubble for long. The children and Padmé are to be examined while Anakin has to be put into a bacta tank immediately to which he vehemently objects.

“Anakin please,” Padmé begs.

He shakes his head, refusing to see reason. “Something might go wrong.” He leans in closer to her to avoid being overheard and whispers: “What if... what if you die again?”

Padmé had died. There is no denying that, he had felt it in the void she had left behind and in the way her body had grown cold in his arms. She had lived it. She had taken her last breath, felt her heart beat its last beat, felt the darkness enfold her and from within it she had heard voices calling out, but then she felt air fill her lungs once more and her eyes had opened. Whatever it was that had tried to devour her was not there anymore, it was gone, replaced by the loving touch of the man beside her.

“Ani,” she soothes. “I won't die. I promise you.”

Reluctantly Anakin allows himself to be lead away from his family. 

* * *

 

“You feel him don't you?”

Obi-Wan turns his back on the man submerged in the bacta tank to look at the woman seated on a cot with her back propped up against the wall behind her as she breastfeeds her daughter. The baby nuzzles into the flesh and makes a noise of content while her brother sleeps peacefully in a crib placed next to them. He returns his focus back on their mother, who tilts her head to the side, silently imploring him.

“Yes.”

Her eyes shift to the tank behind him where Anakin is floating, almost peacefully. If it weren't for the tubes and breathing mask hooked up to him she might almost believe it, but she has no doubt that what he is experiencing is anything but tranquillity.

“What is he feeling?”

Obi-Wan turns to gaze at the man thoughtfully. “Repentance.”

_“Master Skywalker, there are too many of them! What are we going to do?”_

_There is the sound of a lightsaber being ignited and the boy takes a tentative step back but then he stops and looks up at him with big blue eyes – eyes the same colour as his son's – full of trust._

_The eyes roll back into the head and the body goes limp, falling like a broken rag doll onto the floor with a sickening crunch._

“ _NO!” Unseeing eyes stare up at him._

_A little girl shrieks._

“ _Master!”_

_The lightsaber rolls out of the small lifeless hand._

“ _Stop! Stop! STOP!” He falls onto his knees, hands tearing at his hair as he stares at the carnage surrounding him._

“Anakin.”

He squints at the harsh light, attempting to make sense of his surroundings when Obi-Wan's weary face comes into view.

“Master...”

“You've been in the tank for several hours,” Obi-Wan explains, ignoring Anakin's slip of tongue. “They are preparing to take you in for surgery for your... prosthetics.” There is a flash of emotion on his face but it quickly fades away to be replaced by a placid mask.

Anakin's head rolls drowsily to the side. “Padmé?”

“Sleeping,” Obi-Wan replies, moving to the side so that she comes into his view.

Anakin's eyes feast hungrily on the sight of his sleeping wife. She has one arm outstretched, resting inside the crib where their son lies sleeping, while her other one is wrapped securely around their daughter, who is sleeping soundly on her chest with one tiny fist curled around a piece of her mother's dark hair. Anakin's eyes follow the lock of hair but they freeze once they land on the dark bruising covering her throat. Nausea rolls in his stomach and he leans over, retching onto the floor.

“Easy, easy.” Obi-Wan grips one of his shoulders, squeezing it gently.

Anakin groans and slumps back against the bed, moisture begins to gather in his eyes and Obi-Wan watches his lips move in a silent apology.

“We are prepared to preform the surgery now,” comes to monotone voice of a medical droid.

Obi-Wan waves his hand at it. “You will give us a moment.”

The droid turns and leaves the room which gives the older man a chance to focus solely on the broken man beside him.

“Anakin,” he begins in a low whisper, “what is done is done. The question is what will you do now?” He glances at Padmé who is still sleeping peacefully. “You are not alone, you can come to us. Trust us.” He shifts his eyes back to Anakin and finds the boy from Tatooine staring back at him with those big vulnerable eyes, filled with too many emotions for a Jedi. “We failed you. You were always too invested and instead of reprimanding you we... _I_ should have helped you.”

Anakin swallows hard, turning his head, refusing to look at his master instead focusing his attention on a spot beyond his shoulder. “I don't deserve your help.”

He stubbornly refuses to meet Obi-Wan's eyes and the older man sighs, recognising the headstrong teenager from not that long ago. “You shall have it, whether you deserve it or not.”

The droid comes back into the room and Obi-Wan watches as Anakin visibly relaxes. He smiles sadly before moving towards Padmé but Anakin's hand closes around his arm. “Don't.”

“I promised I would wake her once you awoke.”

He shakes his head. “Let her rest.”

Obi-Wan regards him thoughtfully before glancing at Padmé and once his eyes settles on the bruises around her neck he sighs deeply. “Let her help you, Anakin.” Force knows none of them would be there if it weren't for her, and Obi-Wan knows that Padmé is they key to keeping Anakin in the light side of the Force.

He ignores Anakin's protests and gently shakes her shoulder to not disturb the sleeping baby. “Padmé, they're ready to operate on him now.”

Her eyes are alert as she sits up which has Obi-Wan wondering if she had truly been asleep. She sets Leia down in the crib next to her twin and both babies curl into each other, touching their tiny foreheads together. Padmé strokes a hand over both their heads before she goes to the bed her husband is laid out on.

She grabs onto his left hand and intertwine their finger when it remains slack. “Anakin...” she leans in close, begging him to look at her.

He reaches for her neck with his free hand, expecting her to flinch away from him in horror but she doesn't which causes him to let out a relieved breath. He carefully brushes the dark locks of hair over her shoulder and trails his finger along the marks he caused. The self loath is written clearly across his face and Padmé closes her eyes for a moment before opening them to stare down at him in determination.

“Don't you dare shut me out,” she hisses harshly.

He looks at her then, miserable. “I hurt you, Padmé. _I_ hurt you.”

He rolls his head to the side but the soft touch of her hand cupping his cheek forces him to look at her. There is nothing but compassion in her eyes as their gazes lock.

“Anakin, that wasn't you. You've done too much good to let one action define you.” She peers over her shoulder at their sleeping children, children only a few years younger than the life had had spilled and she shudders before a feeling of utter contempt towards Palpatine overcomes her. “All you can do now is try to right your wrongs.” She strokes his cheek, brushing her fingers against his lips. “I love you.”

_Now, be brave and don't look back. Don't look back._

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like it, and if so what was your favourite part?  
> How did you feel about my portrayal of the characters? Especially Anakin?
> 
> Just a quick explenation to the part where Anakin is guiding the light inside Padmé. The "light" is supposed to represent midi-chlorians. The reason I used the term "light" instead is because it contrasted nicely with the darkness used to describe Sidious. I also feel that Anakin to be honest wouldn't be all that invested in midi-chlorians. I feel like he is one of those people who accepts they exists but doesn't give it more thought than that which is why I think he would see them more as the light of life.
> 
> I'm sorry if the Obroa-skai part was unlikely and ridiculous, I've only watched the movies and parts of The clone wars so my knowledge about the planet isn't that vast. Basically I needed a medical facility for them to go to that wasn't somewhere obvious or where Yoda would be. If I chose the most stupidest place for them to go please let me know and I'll change it.
> 
> Thank you so, so much for reading!


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